Closure device

ABSTRACT

A closure device ( 1 ) having a spout part ( 2 ) comprising a flange ( 3 ), in which a piercing means ( 5 ) cuts open a container (B) by way of driving elements ( 9, 10 ), is usually always designed with a purely screw-type closure. According to the invention, the closure device now comprises a closure that is primarily a pivot hinge closure ( 20 ), but at the same time can also be used as a combined pivot hinge closure and screw-type closure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a closure device of plastics materialfor attaching onto a closed container of film material, said closuredevice consisting of a pouring part with a spout and a flange forfastening on the container and a cap which can be placed onto thepouring part, as well as a cylindrical puncturing means which has anexternal thread, is open on both sides in the axial direction andextends into an internal thread in the spout of the pouring part,wherein at least one entrainment means is present in the cap, by meansof which entrainment means, prior to the first-time opening of the cap,the puncturing means can be moved downward in a helical manner, and thatthe cylindrical puncturing means on the cylindrical wall thereof, on theend which in the mounted state is directed to the container wall, hasformed thereon at least one cutting tooth (12).

A large number of poly-tube bags are represented on the market today,the majority of which, however, are produced from multilayered films, inparticular such films which have at least one layer paper, one layerplastics material and one layer aluminum. Said poly-tube bags arerelatively compression-proof and are predominantly developed in acube-shaped manner.

However, poly-tube bags which consist only of plastics material havealso been on the market for some time. Such poly-tube bags are usual, inparticular, as refill bags for cosmetics. Poly-tube bags which areproduced from just plastics material film usually have either absolutelyno closure and for removal simply part of the poly-tube bag is cut awayand the contents of the poly-tube bag are emptied into a container, oralternatively there are also poly-tube bags of plastics material whichhave a flange with a pouring spout and attached thereon just ascrew-type closure.

As, as already mentioned, said poly-tube bags have to be opened andclosed only once or at any rate only a few times, in the majority ofcases only screw-type closures are used.

Plastics material closures, consisting of a bottom part with a spout anda cap which is connected on the bottom part by means of a hinge, areable to be obtained on the market in any amount of variants, howevertheir attachment on poly-tube bags is just not possible. Poly-tube bagsof plastics material are highly flexible and, correspondingly, duringtransport and handling they are acted upon by relatively large forceswhich result in deformation of the poly-tube bags and increase theinternal pressure in a corresponding manner. Straight hinge closures arenot usually capable of withstanding said forces. Consequently, forreasons of safety, in the majority of cases to date plastics materialclosures are only used as straight screw-type closures on poly-tubebags.

This problem of the internal pressure which can act on the closure, doesnot occur during transport or handling if the container of film materialis still completely closed and a closure device of the aforementionedtype is attached to said closed container. Such closures, which areknown, for example, from WO 2004/000667, WO 2004/083055, EP 1533240, EP1795456 or CH 695019, have a cylindrical puncturing means which is openon both sides in the axial direction and which, by means of at least oneentrainment means on the cap, moves downward axially in the oppositedirection when the cap is being screwed off and at the same time cutsopen the film of the bag inside the region of the spout. As soon as thefilm of the poly-tube bag has been cut open, the closure device acts asa simple screw-type closure. Said screw-type closures are now opened andclosed multiple times during the use of the poly-tube bag. As soon asthe actual opening of the poly-tube bag has been accomplished, it wouldconsequently be desirable if the cap could act as a simple pivotinghinge closure from this moment on. However, this is not possible in thecase of the closures known up to now.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is now to modify the closure devicesuch that, after activating the puncturing means and consequentlyopening the poly-tube bag, said closure device is able to act as apivoting hinge or a pivoting snap-type hinge.

A further object of the present invention is to create a closure devicewhich, after the first-time opening and consequently the opening of thepoly-tube bag, is able to be activated both as a pivoting hinge closureand is able to be moved into a secure position so as to be activatableas a screw-type closure for securement if the poly-tube bag has to betransported again once it has been opened for the first time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The single figure shows a diametrical vertical section through apreferred embodiment of the object of the invention which is explainedby way of the description below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The closure device as claimed in the invention is designated overall by1. It is attached on a film of a closed, bag-shaped container B. Theattachment is preferably carried out by means of ultrasound welding, butcan also be effected by means of bonding. The closure device 1 consistsof a pouring part 2, a cylindrical puncturing means 5 and a pivotinghinge closure 20 as the third part.

The pouring part 2 comprises a cylindrical spout 6, on the bottom edgeof which is integrally molded a flange 3 which is directed radiallyoutward. The cylindrical part of the pouring part 2 is designated inthis case as spout 6 and is connected in one piece to the mentionedflange 3. The spout 6 has an internal thread 8, in which the cylindricalpuncturing means 5, which is yet to be described, is guided so as to bemovable. In the simplest development, the outer surface of the spout 6is designed without thread. A circumferential retaining collar 13 isarranged in a manner directed outward purely in the bottom region, justabove the flange 3 and extending in an approximately parallel manner tosaid flange 3. The already mentioned internal thread 8 of the spout 6has a rectangular, trapezium shape. The inclined edge of the trapezoidis formed so as to incline toward the top end of the spout 6 such thatthe puncturing means 5 cannot be screwed-in during assembly but rathercan be pushed-in in a ratchet-like manner.

The cylindrical puncturing means, which essentially has the form knownfrom the prior art, has an external thread 7, which fits together withthe external thread 8 of the spout 6. The puncturing means 5 canconsequently be moved downward in a helical manner in the spout 6 of thepouring part 2. The puncturing means 6 with its cylindrical wall 11 hasa bottom edge which is developed overall as a cutting edge, and has atleast one cutting tooth 12 which is located, prior to the first-timeactivation of the closure device 1, directly above the film of thecontainer B. An entrainment means 10 is integrally molded on the innersurface of the cylindrical wall 11 of the puncturing means 5. Saidentrainment means 10 consists of an elongate element which is directedinward.

A pivoting hinge closure 20 is placed on the spout 6 or onto the pouringpart 2. Said pivoting hinge closure 20 is in one piece but has a bottompart 21 and a cap 24 which are connected together via a pivotingconnection 22, in a preferred manner, however, connected together bymeans of a tightening wall strap 23, so as to be pivotally movable.

The cap 24 has a top surface 26, an entrainment means 9 being integrallymolded on the bottom surface thereof which is directed inward. Saidentrainment means 9 bears against a corresponding entrainment means 10of the puncturing means 5 practically over its entire length, directedfrom top to bottom. The pivoting hinge closure 20 can be rotated inrelation to the pouring part 2. In this case, there is no change in theaxial, relative height, at least of the bottom part 21, in relation tothe spout 6. The bottom part 21 has positive locking means 25, whichinteract with corresponding positive locking means 13 on the spout 6. Inthe embodiment shown here, the positive locking means on the spout 6 isthe already mentioned retaining collar 13. A circumferential holdingbead 25 on the bottom edge of the casing wall of the bottom part 21engages under said retaining collar 13. In the embodiment shown here,said holding bead is formed in cross section as a nose. As a result, thepivoting hinge closure 20 can simply be placed onto the spout 6 in theassembly machine and pressed straight down, the holding bead 25 engagingunder the retaining collar 13 in the end position. The pivoting hingeclosure 20 can consequently be rotated in relation to the spout 6without there being any change at the same time overall in the height ofthe pivoting hinge closure 20 in relation to the spout 6. During saidrotational movement, if it is effected in the corresponding direction,the puncturing means 5 is put into a corresponding rotational movementby the two entrainment means 9 and 10 which are in engagement with eachother. In this case, the puncturing means 5 is screwed downward and thecutting tooth 12 punctures the film of the container B which is closedper se and then opens the poly-tube bag for the first time. Thepuncturing means 5 is then screwed so far downward until it is engagedby means of corresponding latching means which are not shown here, thetwo entrainment means 9 and 10 no longer being engaged with each otherin this position. The puncturing means consequently remains in itslatched end position when rotated in the reverse direction after thefirst-time opening.

The actual cap 24 of the pivoting hinge closure 20 and the bottom part21 of the pivoting hinge closure are, on the one hand, already securedagainst a relative rotation of said two parts by means of the pivotconnection 22 and/or the tightening strap 23. As the torque between thecap 24 and the bottom part 21 can be relatively large if the user justintroduces the rotational movement only via the cap 24, it can besensible to mold downwardly directed lugs 14, which engage incorresponding recesses 27 in the casing wall of the bottom part 21, inan integral manner on the bottom edge of the casing wall of the cap 24.Said lugs 14 can at the same time form a guarantee element which can betorn off after the corresponding rotational movement. Instead of onelug, obviously also several such lugs 14 are conceivable which canengage in corresponding recesses 27. The lugs 14 can also be arranged ina contiguous manner on a guarantee strap.

In an embodiment preferred in this case in particular, the spout 6 canhave an external thread 30 on its outer surface, said external threadbeing present purely in the region of the cap 24. The cap 24, in itsturn, has an internal thread 28 which interacts with the external thread30 on the spout 6.

If, during the first-time activation, the pivoting hinge closure 20, inits turn, is rotated, there is no change to the relative height betweenthe bottom part 21 and the spout 6, whilst at the same time, however,the cap 24 carries out a relatively small upward movement. This changesthe relative height between the cap 24 and the bottom part 21 and, atthe same time, in this case tightens the tightening strap 23. Thetightening strap 23 now changes the straight pivoting hinge closure 20into a snap-type hinge closure. As in this position, after thefirst-time opening, the puncturing means 5 is in a low position, theopen width of the closure device corresponding to the open width of thespout 6 is enlarged around the wall of the puncturing means 5 presentbeforehand in this region. As a result, and thanks to the relativedisplacement of the cap 24 upward, the cap 24 is now also activatable asa straight snap-type hinge cap without the entrainment means 9, which isintegrally molded in a fixed manner on the top surface 26 of the cap 24,preventing the pivoting movement at the same time. In contrast totraditional closure devices of this type, the entire closure device canalso be designed to be smaller. This is in particular because the cap nolonger has to be completely screwed on and off unavoidably each time.

After the first-time opening, the cap 24 is then simply activated in apivoting movement. However, it is possible, should it be necessary toreseal the container in the broken-open state, and for example to takeit along in a rucksack, it is thus possible to screw on the actualpivoting cap 24 again by means of a corresponding rotational movement.The cap 24 now operates again in practice as a simple screw-type cap. Ifa drink is required from the container, the screwing movement has to becarried out again first of all in order to displace the cap 24 inrelation to the bottom part 21, once again the tightening strap 23 beingtightened and the cap 24 once again acting as a pivoting cap of asnap-type hinge closure.

Obviously, the solution with a film hinge as pivoting connection 22 isnot combinable with a solution where the bottom part 21 and the cap 24are to be displaced in relation to each other by means of theaforementioned threads 28 and 30.

1. A closure device (1) of plastics material for attaching onto a closedcontainer (B) of film material, said closure device including a pouringpart (2) with a spout (6) and a flange (3) for fastening on thecontainer (B), and a cap (24) which can be placed onto the pouring part(2), as well as a cylindrical puncturing means (5) which has an externalthread (7), is open on both sides in an axial direction, and extendsinto an internal thread (8) in the spout (6) of the pouring part (2),wherein at least one entrainment means (9) is present in the cap (24),by means of which entrainment means, prior to a first-time opening ofthe cap (24), the puncturing means (5) can be moved downward in ahelical manner, and that the cylindrical puncturing means (5) on acylindrical wall (11) thereof, on an end which in a mounted state isdirected to a wall of the container, has formed thereon at least onecutting tooth (12), characterized in that a one-part pivoting hingeclosure (20), which includes a bottom part (21) and the cap (24) whichis integrally molded thereon via at least one pivot connection (22), isplaced onto the spout (6), wherein the bottom part (21) is held so as tobe rotatable and axially fixed with the spout (6) such that the pivotinghinge closure (20) overall is rotatable.
 2. The closure device asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bottom part (21) and thecap (24) together correspond to a maximum height of the spout (6) andthe connection between the cap (24) and the bottom part (21) is effectedby means of at least one tightening strap (23) that extendstherebetween.
 3. The closure device as claimed in claim 1, characterizedin that a height of the bottom part (21) is smaller than a height of thespout (6).
 4. The closure device as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat the spout (6) and the bottom part (21) are provided with positivelocking means (13, 25) which are matched to each other and are always inengagement when the bottom part (21) and the cap (24) are rotated. 5.The closure device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that thepositive locking means on the bottom part (21) is a circumferentialholding bead (25) and on the spout is a circumferential retaining collar(13).
 6. The closure device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in thatthe positive locking means (13, 25) on the bottom part (21) is acircumferential groove and on the spout is a circumferential retainingcollar (13).
 7. The closure device as claimed in claim 1, characterizedin that at least one shield-like element, which is in the form of a lug(14) and engages in a recess (27) in the bottom part (21), is integrallymolded on the cap (24).
 8. The closure device as claimed in claim 7,characterized in that a positive locking means, which is capable ofengaging in an undercut in the recess (27), is integrally molded on thelug (14).
 9. The closure device as claimed in claim 7, characterized inthat the lug (14) is developed as a tear-off lug, and thus forms aguarantee element.
 10. The closure device as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that two threads (28, 30) are arranged between the cap(24) and an outer surface of the spout (6), and the cap (24) isconnected to the bottom part (21) of the pivoting hinge closure (20) bymeans of at least one tightening strap (23).
 11. The closure device asclaimed in claim 10, characterized in that the thread (28, 30) isdeveloped such that after an unscrewing movement in which the threads(28, 30) are no longer in engagement, the at least one tightening strap(23) extends in an at least approximately stretched manner.